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Total Playback Time:0 sec
Estimated Storage Space:0 GB
Mastering Time Lapse Photography
Creating a stunning time lapse requires balancing three critical variables: the duration of the real-world event, the interval between photos, and the desired length of the final video clip. This calculator helps you determine exactly how to set your intervalometer to ensure you capture enough frames for smooth playback without overfilling your memory card.
How the Calculation Works
The math behind a time lapse is based on the frame rate (FPS) of the final video. If you want a standard cinematic look, you generally use 24 frames per second. This means for every 1 second of final video, you need to capture 24 distinct photos.
The Formula: Interval = (Event Duration in Seconds) / (Target Video Duration × FPS)
For example, if you are shooting a sunset that lasts 1 hour (3600 seconds) and you want a 10-second video at 24fps (requiring 240 photos total), your interval would be 3600 / 240 = 15 seconds.
Choosing the Right Interval
Different subjects require different intervals to look natural. If the interval is too long, the motion will look jerky. If it is too short, the video will drag on and consume too much storage. Here are standard guidelines:
Fast Moving Traffic: 0.5 to 2 seconds
Fast Moving Clouds: 1 to 3 seconds
Slow Moving Clouds: 5 to 10 seconds
Sunsets/Sunrises: 5 to 10 seconds
Stars / Milky Way: 15 to 30 seconds (dictated by shutter speed)
Construction Projects: 5 minutes to 1 hour
Frame Rates Explained
The Frame Rate (FPS) determines how smooth the playback is.
24 FPS: Standard for movies. Gives a cinematic feel with slight motion blur.
30 FPS: Standard for digital video and TV in North America/Japan. Slightly smoother than 24.
60 FPS: High frame rate. Very smooth, often used for slow motion or hyper-realistic action.
Storage Considerations
Time lapse photography consumes significant storage space. A RAW file from a modern camera can easily exceed 40MB. Shooting a 20-second clip at 30fps requires 600 photos. If each photo is 40MB, that is roughly 24GB of data. Always ensure your SD card has sufficient space and a write speed fast enough to clear the buffer before the next shot triggers.
function calculateTimeLapse() {
// 1. Get input values
var hours = parseFloat(document.getElementById('eventHours').value) || 0;
var minutes = parseFloat(document.getElementById('eventMinutes').value) || 0;
var targetSec = parseFloat(document.getElementById('targetLength').value);
var fps = parseInt(document.getElementById('fps').value);
var fileSizeMB = parseFloat(document.getElementById('fileSize').value) || 0;
// 2. Validate essential inputs
if (!targetSec || targetSec <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid target video length.");
return;
}
if ((hours === 0 && minutes === 0) || hours < 0 || minutes = 1) {
intervalText = intervalSeconds.toFixed(1) + " seconds";
} else {
intervalText = intervalSeconds.toFixed(2) + " seconds (Very Fast)";
}
document.getElementById('resultInterval').innerHTML = intervalText;
// Format Frames (round to nearest whole number because you can't take half a photo)
document.getElementById('resultFrames').innerText = Math.round(totalFramesNeeded).toLocaleString();
// Format Time (echoing back the target length to confirm)
document.getElementById('resultTime').innerText = targetSec + " sec @ " + fps + " fps";
// Format Storage
document.getElementById('resultStorage').innerText = totalStorageGB.toFixed(2) + " GB";
}